|
|
|
|
Basilisk | |
|
|
|
|
One of the most infamous creatures throughout European folklore is the dreaded king of the serpents -- the Basilisk. Its presence withers plants, its spittle fells birds from the sky, its breath shatters solid stone, its touch causes instant death, and the sight of a Basilisk petrifies anyone unfortunate enough to gaze upon it. It was attributed with causing the deserts of Africa. So powerful was the Basilisk's poison that if a knight were to charge it with a spear, the poison would travel up the spear killing not only the knight, but also the steed on which he rode. Waters from which the Basilisk drank would become tainted for centuries. Four things are able to combat the Basilisk's venom. The first is the weasel, which is said to be the serpent's enemy and to have just as poisonous a bite as the Basilisk. The cockerel was another of the Basilisk's enemies, for its crow meant instant death for the Basilisk. Another means of slaying the Basilisk was to turn its venom back upon itself, using either a glass lens, globe, or mirror to reflect its gaze. Finally, the rue plant was said to be the only one immune to the Basilisk's poison.  The original Basilisk, as described by Pliny the Elder in his work Historia Naturalis, was a small, green grass snake measuring about a foot-and-a-half long. On its head was a small white mark resembling a diadem (that is, a crown), and its body was speckled in white dots. It did not slither, but rather it kept its mid-section raised from the ground and moved by first inching forth its back section, and then moving forth its front. As time went on, the Basilisk's description began to change. The cockerel, its former enemy, was combined with the Basilisk's description to create a new creature now called the Cockatrice, a serpent-bird with venom equally as potent as its predecessor. The Cockatrice had a much more elaborate origin than the Basilisk, however, being born from a yolkless seven-year-old cockerel's egg hatched for nine years by a toad under Sirius, the Dog Star. Basilisks simply gave birth to other Basilisks. Other varying descriptions of the Basilisk also appeared. In medieval bestiaries, the Basilisk was attributed with a fiery breath and the ability to cause hydrophobia (the fear of water). The serpent king in later descriptions was given eight legs, but all the while keeping its reptilian appearance. The name Basilisk comes from a diminutive form of the Greek word for king, "basileus". Thus, "Basilisk" roughly means "Little Tyrant".
When you have a creature as varying as the Basilisk, it is difficult to decide how it should look. I tried to keep its snake beginnings and its more lizard-like ends with representation. The one thing I did not want to feature with the Basilisk, however, was any cockerel attribute. I want to keep a clear difference between it and the Cockatrice. The colouration of the Basilisk is not green as is told by Pliny. I wished to make a sickly, pale, poisonous hue for the skin of the most lethal monster in all myth. The crown also differs from the Pliny description, but does have documented origins. Pictures of the Basilisk in medieval works often give it an actual crown instead of just a mark. I continued its regal status onto the adult form's claws, making them golden as well. Another interesting note about the adult is its stance. Even then, it keeps its middle held high in the air. Its second set of legs do not even touch the ground; only its first and third pair are used for walking. The rear pair of legs simply drag on the ground, far too low at the end of the Basilisk's arched body to serve any other use. The crowned egg is another oddity. No mention exists of such a thing that I know of. With Battling Dragons, there are so many creatures with eggs that any chance to make one stand out must be taken. The Basilisk was the fourth creature I made for BD, and the one made in the shortest time interval after another new creature. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1999-2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
